The Garth Brooks Ticket Saga, Continued
I still can't decide whose side I'm on. But as this Garth Brooks ticket fight rages on, I can see how angry the ticket brokers are. Long story short, they will not be able to sell their ample inventory of Garth-in-Vegas tickets because Steve Wynn, the owner of the resort hosting the concerts, has put his foot down. So in a retaliatory move, the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) is pulling its annual summer conference and show from the Wynn hotel. Their spokesperson said, "NATB brings hundreds of brokers each year to the Wynn at our annual ticket broker conference but now they've lost our business." Why is the group so furious? Because in an effort to cease scalping activity, the Wynn released a statement (OK, warning) that all ticket buyers need to identify who will use the tickets or risk having their purchase canceled. The spokesman for NATB added, "Fans hire brokers to help them find the tickets they want, for the price they can pay, or to resell the tickets they can't use. Wynn has no right to tell these fans, 'Hey, tough luck -- unless you bought them at our box office within two hours of going on sale then you can't go to the show.'" What I'd love to know is, whose side are you on, readers?
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Allison says:
I’m on the Wynn’s side. the reason why these high profile concerts sell out so quickly is partially the ticket brokers’ fault! They rip off the consumer by hoarding tickets and reselling them at a higher price once it’s sold out… it’s a great business for them but unfair for the consumer.
timcun says:
I’m on Wynn’s side too.
Shelley says:
I’m on the side of Wynn and Garth. I commend them for finally putting a stop to people buying tickets up in droves so they can make as much profit as humanly possible and rip off the fans that couldn’t get tickets because they bought them up. The ticket industry is so corrupt, half the time you can’t even get a decent seat even ONE minute after the tickets have gone on sale because the ticket agencies are corrupt too. The ticket brokers have the seats listed before they even go on sale!! Anything they can do to give the tickets back to the average fan I say BRAVO!!
timcun says:
I have a feeling that Steve Wynn isn’t going to go broke from having the NATB pull out of its annual summer conference and show at the Wynn hotel. I’m sure he’ll find others to fill the spot.
JoeDon says:
What I’d like to know is why anyone cares?
About GB, The Wynn, all of it,,,,,,
AJfanBecky says:
about time someone stood up to the scalpers.
vegaslover says:
110% on the side of Wynn. Most of us “normal” people can just barely afford to buy show tickets at the face price, and when we make the effort as soon as they go on sale and can’t get good, or even any, seats it’s on the brokers. We should all have a shot at decent seats and shouldn’t have to pay double, triple, etc. of the face price to get them.
merlefan49 says:
I’m on Wynn’s side. I have no use for ticket brokers. I have never used one nor will I ever.
hotelmotel says:
I don’t know. On the one hand, I think that if I buy a ticket for $40 I should be able to resell it for $300 if someone wants to buy it and I’d rather have the cash than see the show. I do realize that laws or policy could bar me from the resale, but I am skeptical of the merits of such policies.
Though I generally think ticket brokers are a good thing, and I like the fact that I can get good tickets to shows (I wouldn’t pay the ticket broker’s price for a country music concert but absolutely there are some events I would pay the price for, for business reasons or other reasons) I think that Garth and the Wynn should have the right to enact policies that discourage that if they so desire.
rockerbillie says:
I am on Wynn’s side. He has the power and the muscle to make something like this work for the fans. I have never been a fan of ticket brokers. Steve Wynn is not afraid to take a stand.
ClassyBob says:
Yes, ticket brokers, even though they perform a service for their customers, are always subject to scorn. Why is it that Real estate brokers and mortgage brokers are not as hated? They take commissions (much larger than a ticket broker does) for doing something that most people could do on their own.
Wynn is very hypocritical. He embraces the ticket brokers when they bring in hundreds of thousands with their annual convention. But then with these overt restrictions, he is not only trying to eliminate brokering of tickets, but he is inconveniencing lots of Garth’s fans. You can’t get airline tickets to match the day you bought concert tickets? Sorry, you’re screwed. Find out you have to go out of town for work the weekend you have tickets? Too bad, you can’t resell them. You weren’t available to buy tickets for the 2 hour period they were available? Well, Wynn and Garth say you are toast - since the ticket brokers can’t resell these, you have no available avenue to get tickets. Unless of course, you go and gamble and drop about $100 bet for 4 hours a day in the casino - then I’m sure Wynn can find a ticket for you. So the true Garth fans will be shut out while the whales will get all the best seats in the house. And Steve Wynn will tell you with a straight face that that is the way Garth’s people wanted it.
Shawn says:
I for one find it VERY funny that television show are made about people that flip homes and stocks. Think about it, not one person is forced to buy a ticket. In fact alot of time ticket brokers loose money on tickets. It is a speculative business just like stocks and homes. I am greatful I can get tickets for ANY event from my broker at ANYTIME. He provides a service for me! Thank you brokers for the service you provide. And I will never stay at a Wynn resort again.
Joe says:
I am a ticket broker,my customers are happy they are able to attend an event they otherwise would not be able to.
What a bunch of crybabies responding in this forum.
Lets make reselling tickets illegal again.Guess what?If you dont have tickets to a sellout YOU ARE NOT @#%#*+* GOING.Then you can cry again.On the other hand your local congessman might pass a law requiring ticketmaster to dole out tickets to you less fortunate.
Call the WAHHHHbulance.
I love Stubhub.
Kirk says:
No brainier for me either. I’m on the side of Wynn and Brooks.
Frustrating to try to get a ticket to any show and tickets are sold out or “good” seats already sold. Then, find a broker with 10,20 of those tickets selling them at many times the face value.
Artists sell their tickets and perform shows for the fans to see and support the artist, and not for a 3rd party broker to make a a living.
Now, I do think there should be a policy for an individual buyer to sell ticket back to the venue in case of sickness, travel issues, or say a family emergency.
Joe says:
Yeah its just awfull.Damn supermarkets too.Marking up a gallon of milk and all.I’m buying straight from the farmer from now on.
Mike Johnson says:
The tickets are sold out or the “good” seats are already sold because of supply and demand, not ticket brokers.
Tickets are sold on the internet now, that means anyone anywhere in the world can purchase tickets now… instead of having to be a box office or ticketmaster outlet somewhere. Back in the day many couldn’t be at the outlets or box office because of personal obligations. Fans in smaller cities and towns can now buy tickets. People can also travel more to other cities to see concerts than the used to. So you have much higher demand but the arenas are still the same sizes. 14K tickets and 30K or more want tickets.. 100K+ if it’s Garth… you do the math. Whether brokers exist or not, people will get shut out.
If brokers exist the number of people shut out won’t increase that much due to demand vastly outnumbering supply. The number of tickets that brokers hold is small compared to the capacity. Look at a popular event on Stubhub and divide the number of tickets by the venue capacity. It’s usually only a few percent. Brokers don’t hold that many tickets.
Finally, have you ever not bought tickets to something, thinking you couldn’t go, only to later be able to go? If reselling were illegal, you wouldn’t be able to go.
Alan says:
The Whales will get their seats.I think Mr.Wynn is the biggest hypocrite on the face of the planet.
janetgijoenurse says:
I have used a ticket broker before to buy better seats, I think Wynn is in the wrong, its the fans choice to use a ticket broker. Especially since concert is going to be attending by people mostly they don’t live there and will have to pay transportation, hotels, food, if they want to use a broker to get the best choice its their choice.
janetgijoenurse says:
Mike Johnson you are right on the money with your comment. There has been events that I didn’t think I could attend then later found out I could, if it wasn’t for being able to buy them for a ticker broker, would of been out of luck.
People are already paying a fortune for this concert, with the price of 150 dollars(surcharges and stuff), most people are going to travel, so transportation, food, hotels. Its not like Garth is doing his fans a favor like he did when his tickets cost 20 dollars in the early 90’s. People are going to be putting up some BIG bucks.
merlefan49 says:
There is a difference in profit and gouging.
merlefan49 says:
forgot to add even if it was Merle’s final concert and Hank Sr, Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash etc all came back to be on the show with him I still would not use a broker at their inflated prices.
LP63 says:
Hey Joe-If the ticket brokers only put a 50% mark up at the most (which is the profit markup at a grocery store) it would not make people mad. It is the profit margin of sometimes 400% markup for some of the concerts. Tickets are $80 and for the same tickets on a broker site it is $320 before the fees are added in which is totally ridiculous. I am on the side of Garth and Wynn to try and stop the insane practices of ticket gouging in a rough economy. I would rather take my chances knowing that none of the tickets are going to brokers!
Go Wynn!!!! I will stay at your hotel the next time I go to Vegas as will more people since that is who you are trying to protect by standing up for our rights.
I have been to other shows that the artist have requested this type of ticket selling (AC/DC) and I did not hear 1 person complain about having to show ID and the credit card used. I am all for this type of practice…if I am buying tickets for a show of this magnitude I am going to make sure I have the time off and that I can get airfare the same day (there are many flights going into Vegas daily so airfare should not be a problem).
Juan says:
garth and Wynn side, because brokers jack up the prices way too high, it is ridiculous at what the brokers want people to pay they should be ashamed of them self!!!!!!!!!!!!
Becki says:
I’m completely on the side of Wynn and Garth. It’s far past time someone put a stop to the price gouging that goes on with concert tickets. You should NEVER be able to sell a ticket for more than it’s face value..period.
JM says:
so glad someone is finally putting a stop to the high priced ticket brokers.. hording all the tickets!!
thanks to Garth and wynn for putting their foot down
Erin says:
I am customer who is completely outraged by this. Actions by the Wynn are completely inappropriate and poor business. I legitimately purchased 4 tickets online on 10/24 so that I could bring 3 friends to the 12/11 show. I returned follow up phone calls and emails regarding guest names, and I purchased non-refundable airfare and made a hotel reservation. Yet I received an email today saying my tickets were cancelled. I am furious.
Tara says:
I live in the UK and sadly, knew I couldn’t get to Vegas for those dates so knew I wouldn’t be looking at buying tickets anyway.
However, I’m on the side of Wynn and GB and am very glad indeed that the brokers have been ‘locked out’ this time. It’s the same story with concerts over here.
OCMom says:
Definately on the Wynn/Garth side. The last Garth show in CA was a benifit for the California fire victims. The tickets were all $ 25.00. The 6 shows sold out in less than 2 minutes. The ticket brokers got most of them. I was on the ticket site at the moment they went on sale and still did not get any. We had to pay $200 ea to attend that show.. Who profited? The broker, not the fire victims, or Garth. I applaud Garth for having the courage to try to put a stop to this practice.
AJ says:
some replied that they side with brokers because they wanted to go to a show/event….but couldn’t because it was sold out. so thankfully the brokers were there with tix….
are you stupid? why do you think it’s sold out in the first place…possibly because the brokers grabbed a bunch of them up? are you really that dumb?